Sports journalist Chris Mortensen died Sunday at the age of 72, his family confirmed to ESPN.
A veteran of the football world, Mortensen was a two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee and recipient of the Pro Football Writers of America’s Dick McCann Award.
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro reacted to Mortensen’s passing in a statement on Sunday, saying, “Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hardworking teammate.”
“He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion, and was at the top of his field for decades,” Pitaro continued. “He will truly be missed by colleagues and fans, and our hearts and thoughts are with his loved ones.”
Mortensen got his start as a newspaper reporter and made his first appearance on ESPN in 1991.
He sparked the NFL’s 2015 “Deflategate” scandal after reporting that the New England Patriots had surreptitiously used underinflated balls during the AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.
In 2016, the Torrance, California, native shared that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer. He announced his retirement from ESPN in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in September last year, writing that he wanted to “focus on my health, family and faith.”
He is survived by his wife, Micki Mortensen, and their son, Alex Mortensen.
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